WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
What are our personal demons? On a daily basis, do we find ourselves beleaguered by that which, to anyone else who sees us, doesn’t immediately appear to exist? Are we tormented by something beyond our full understanding or ability to truly combat? And even if we CAN determine what it is that hinders and/or hounds us, who do we turn to, how do we move forward, and is there any real liberation to be encountered….or an acceptance of what cannot be changed? In a remote home in the woods, Fiona (Shona McHugh) cares for her perpetually ill grandmother Maeve (Sheila Grier). But, even as Fiona tries to find a means to remain her own person in the midst of hardship, a dark specter looms and begins to come into play that will alter Fiona’s mindset and state of being more than she may be prepared for.
Next, my Mind:
How else to I begin here than to proclaim what I constantly do when it comes to the arenas of indie film and specifically short film which these years of reviewing have allowed me to become a major part of thanks to the stalwart, dedicated, fresh-thinking, wholly bold/fearless artists who populate the aforementioned communities–it is simply AMAZING. Honestly, this is once more how this critic felt when viewing the newest 8-minute short film project from Scottish writer/director Aimie Willemse, producer Serena Chloe Gardner, co-producers Remo Catani and Nasreen Cullen, plus executive producers Naysun Alae-Carew, Nicholas Crum, Lauren Lamarr, and Leslie Muller that deftly presents an experimental cinema-style execution via delivering an impactful amalgamation of supernatural horror and raw, convincing, awareness-raising elements that puts a human face and deeply personal aura on display to illustrate the reality of a relentlessly unmerciful and vile evil, a demon of a different sort, and one that is all too real for far too many people.
Made even more stirringly eerie and unsettling by the sheer fact the narrative IS a sobering portrait of the film director’s own painful actuality and struggles, the journey we witness that sees a young woman having to not just face her grandmother’s truths but the ominous tidings of her own future as well is one of intelligently written allegorical strength and straightforward but unnerving visual potency that more than succinctly, dramatically, grippingly, engagingly, and chillingly drives home the foundational premise behind it all. This is no overstatement here, because what we’re really dealing with here is a highly transparent revealing of malignant forces in a credibly grounded manner that effectively provides the menace and fear-inducing facets you want in this type of horror genre but that also transcends this and morphs into such a moving testament to something tangible, relatable, and NECESSARY (a word I also use often with indie film, rightly so) so as to evocatively manifest aspects of what is being shown so they stick in our minds for further ponderance and consideration.
It is just so difficult to fathom this degree of pain and affliction being portrayed, and to then realize that not only the film’s creator, but so many others in this world, are harried and plagued by such an unforgiving, debilitating entity as this, with only the ability, ultimately, to somehow EMBRACE it, manage THROUGH it, and try to trust in the compassion and goodwill of others who DO know what it’s like or at least DEMONSTRATE genuine care towards us. This whole immersion into the soul-crushing fight that’s in play IS so beautifully and frightfully played out from start to finish here, with beginnings of innocence that then gets confronted first with, then directly tainted by, the malevolent presence that haunts the character’s existence. As hinted at above, the imagery here began to give me the sense of everything from “The Grudge” to “Hereditary” and perhaps a few others in particular through its thematic and visual scope yet more accessible while still being disturbing in practical, functional, and certainly memorable appearance so as to honor the cornerstone genre it resides within.
There are two distinctly separate yet also fully connected perspectives we’re given to take in as the narrative unfolds, and initially I will preface more detail into each with all-encompassing appreciation for the co-lead actresses here who so perfectly and with duly noted and admired efficiency embody their respective characters wonderfully and with a sense of complete commitment and apropos magnitude of intensity so as NOT to turn this film into something it wasn’t intended to be, but rather adeptly make it precisely what it IS. McHugh arrives with a subtle, unfeigned, and then wholeheartedly earnest performance as Fiona, a young woman having to face not only a beloved grandmother she must watch suffer, but also the aggressive, creepy, inexorable inevitability that threatens to not only undermine her own yearning to be who she is apart from the circumstances, but unavoidably links her to her precious relative and their shared desolation of being that the shadowy presence in their lives carries with it and placed upon them.
As Fiona attempts to disassociate herself from it all, the power overtakes her and puts her mind, body, and soul into a tailspin that she must find a way to overcome. Again, it’s a study in excellent character acting within the context of the horror medium that this critic felt required a definitive level of control and poise to pull off in a right demeanor that elicits both empathy and terror, which McHugh did a great job at providing. In a similar but yet utterly different and definitely more understated way, Grier holds that magnificently NON-threatening attitude and poise while still managing to exude a quietly building air of scariness and vulnerability as Fiona’s illness-stricken grandmother Maeve. whose control over what lives within her begins to start fracturing a little at a time until it might potentially overtake her and hence enter her and Fiona’s world in a less than pleasant way. Even as events start to come about, it’s clear that Maeve’s experiences with the presence inside her has been a formidable but at least somewhat manageable one, which is clearly what she hopes to pass onto Fiona, even if it is so agonizing to realize and admit to.
Can she end up being a pillar of strength for her granddaughter, or will the remorseless creature inside her irreparably damage the bond and support Maeve desires to give to Fiona? Once more, it’s a study in well-performed, intricate, but so purposeful restraint that befits the story and the character being portrayed, and Grier conveys all of it with sublime grace. The primary supporting appearance is made by Minnie Knot, and all I will say is perhaps THIS is mainly what I might have been hinting at above in regard to referencing an ode to “The Grudge” to a certain extent and instance during the film. Watch and understand. It’s was well-played when kept in context of the scenes involved, which Knot decidedly put into…shape….when needed. So, in total, “Unravelling” is a surprising, unique, compelling, and entirely worthwhile example of one genre being acquired by a not-so-instantly conspicuous other, which then get smartly combined in order to reveal what this critic hopes will be the attention-grabbing, perception-altering, mindfulness-inducing film it is so that we may see a continuation of efforts to FIND the solution to a current demon that needs to be exorcised from the world forever and liberate those who are under its thrall.
STAR RATING (out of 5):
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
